Solange Knowles continues to serve up Cover Girl fierceness but this time it’s for London’s ‘Evening Standard Magazine.‘ In her feature she brings some glam to the bowling alley wearing fur, a bra, and a long white pencil skirt while chopping it up with the Mag about growing up in the Knowles household. She also discussed getting pregnant and engaged at age 17 to her ex-hubby Daniel Smith, her mother initially not wanting another daughter in the music industry and Kelly Rowland being Beyonce’s live-in best friend as well as why she releases her albums independently and how good sex has influenced her music.

On Getting Pregnant & Settling Down at 17-Years-Old
“I just loved being at home and being domestic,’ she says. ‘We would have gotten married for sure anyway, but then I found out I was pregnant. We were crazy, impulsive teenagers and I was obviously craving some sort of stability. [My family] were alarmed and frightened that their 17-year-old daughter wanted to get married and have a kid, but I’d been working since I was 13. I was making my own money. I wasn’t really asking permission, and once they found out I was serious about it, they were supportive and amazing.’

On Her Close Relationship With Beyonce
[Kelly Rowland’s] mother was a nanny for another family, so Kelly lived with us when they first moved from Atlanta. She was like a second sister. It definitely was tough, having your sister have a built-in BFF, and me being five years younger. But my sister was very protective of me, and we were very sweet with each other. I’m sure if we were closer in age we wouldn’t have gotten along so great. But we’ve been super-close ever since I was about 13.”

On First Telling Her Father She Wanted to Be a Singer & An Unsuccessful First Album
“And he told my mother, who said, ‘Oh, no. We don’t want you doing this, too. You can do anything in the world! You’re so smart.’ I think she was nervous about me losing my childhood. My sister started at such a young age that this was her life for as long as she could remember. From a very early age I decided that I wanted to be able to do my music but still be able to live a normal life. I went into the meeting [with Columbia] and said, ‘I want it to be clear that I want to write all of my music. I want to have control of that.’ I had grown up around this.” After a disagreement with the label, Solange had to promote the album, Solo Star, on her own. “I didn’t care. I didn’t need the money…” She pauses. “It wasn’t very successful.”

On Her Second Album Not Being Received Well
“I’d have to time it around the baby’s naps,” she says. “And make sure he wasn’t crying in the background on demos. [I wrote] all of these Sixties songs… I would send them to my publisher [EMI] and would check every day if someone was interested. This was before the retro vibe of Amy Winehouse and Adele… they were not very well received.”

On Why She’s Not on a Label
“I don’t think there’s a need if you are able to fund it yourself and have a strong sense of development as an artist. It means you aren’t dependent on some A&R dude to position you with writers or producers or figure out your next direction. Major labels act as banks in terms of how they produce and release your album. No major label is really good or bad, they just 100 per cent operate as a business, which makes sense… no hard feelings.”

On The “Sexual Vibe”of Her Next Album (Summer 2012)
“There’s a lot of sexual vibes on it. I think I just finally started having good sex. This woman came up to me the other day and said, “You know, I think people dress a lot better when they’re in love with themselves, with other people, or with where their life is.”

On Having a Private Life, Especially With Blue Ivy
“I think there’s a way to protect yourself. I think the fact that I live here is very helpful. It’s about working it and not letting it work you, about being very selective about what you do and who you do it with.”

On if she gets to see Beyonce and Blue Ivy a lot
Yes. Actually, I invited them over for dinner tonight. I’m excited to see her; I haven’t seen her in a week and half.’ She wraps her coat around her, bracing against the weather. “You know, my sister and I truly are best friends.

Sorry Solange but I don’t believe you wanted to get married and have a baby at 17. If so it was only because Beyonce was getting all the attention. You have made your situation work for you but don’t front !

Are you all thumbing me down because you actually believe she wanted to be pregnant & married at 17 or is it because I had the nerve to call her out on it and not sit silent on the notion ?

+90 Nov25 Reply:March 17th, 2012 at 2:07 pm

I bought her second album and I thought it was dope I still listen to it

+117 MissMillieB Reply:March 17th, 2012 at 2:10 pm

If you read the article more closely you’ll see that she said they probably would have gotten married even if she hadn’t
gotten pregnant, she also said “obviously I was craving some stability.” so i don’t think she was saying that being
married and pregnant at 17 was her ideal situation, but rather at that time she felt she wanted/needed that family
stabilty, which im sure her upbringing had something to do with.

MissMillie- it’s not that big of an issue but you are right, but if you re-read it says all that and ” I was working since 13, making my own money and I wasn’t asking for permission and when they found I was serious” ijs

+55 Tonya Reply:March 17th, 2012 at 2:28 pm

First of why do you care so much about thumbs down?

Secondly, you don’t know Solange or what SHE wanted/wants! It might not be what YOU wanted at 17 but who are you to speak for someone else?!! At 17, a lot of girls fall in love with a guy and honestly believe that they’re gonna be together forever. Some of them even want to and do marry said guy and have a baby. You know why? Because when you’re 17 all you see is 17 and what you want. You never think life isn’t gonna turn out the way your young self planned it out in your head half through Chemistry class. All you do is think and dream of what you want for yourself at the time. You think you’re gonna be friends with the same girls you went to middle school with forever. Did Beyonce not think that about Letoya and Latavia when she was 17? But then BAM…reality hits. Some time what you dream and what ends up happening it two different things. It’s believable to me that a girl like Solange fell in love with that boy thinking she’d be living out her “Cinderella” story and being with her “Prince Charming” forever. At that age, she probably that everything would be 100 percent fine as long as they had each other and their baby but it didn’t happen that way….for HER.

It happens often, everyday & sometimes, it works out. Yes, they are people who get married and have babies young and stay together for 60 years. My grandparents for one! 18 and 20. Only my grandmother wasn’t pregnant and didn’t have a baby til she was 20. Point, SHE loved my grandfather and wanted to get married. She could’ve said no but she choose to accept as a crazy in love teenager. Not to mention, girls were expected to marry young and stay home with the kids in my grandmother’s day. Time has a way of changing outlook and perception and that’s frowned upon day, but my grandmother doesn’t regret what she did.

I myself didn’t get married or pregnant at 17 but I sure thought I knew all there was to know about life and love and had a boyfriend that I never pictured gone from my life. My mother told me it wouldn’t last but I didn’t believe that THEN. In my 17 year old self’s high school year book I wrote Mrs (his last name) proudly and didn’t think twice. Now, every time I look at it, I shake my head…oh to be 17 and “stupid”… smh!

+7 jjenn Reply:March 17th, 2012 at 8:20 pm

i agree with u 100 percent mama..i was loling at her silly statement abt wanting to be pregnant and married at 17..when she knows damn well she had to in order to protect the knowles name. get married so being pregnant so young wouldn’tbe looked on harshly..

+3 6893 Reply:March 18th, 2012 at 12:36 am

@ Tonya you obviously cared since you wrote a whole paragraph, anyways I agree kay 1st these people up here only will agree if you have something similar to their comment, but anything different there’s thumbs down.

-1 Liz Reply:March 18th, 2012 at 10:08 am

re patting yourself on the back thinking you’re so badass by stating the obvious and everyone who isn’t thumbing up your comment are just some asskissers..but that’s not the case. Anyone who can read and has the power of discernment figured out what Solange was trying to say with her comment. I got knocked up, [my family was alarmed], and I was forced to get married. I hate using the word hater, BUUUT this gumption that you think you have by “calling her out” makes you sound like one.

+2 GirlMelanie Reply:March 18th, 2012 at 12:45 am

Tonya, the fact of the matter is that was a rush wedding. Solange would come to the damn football games in long ass skirts trying to be different and get laughed at. Then all of a sudden she changed up her style a bit and was dealin w Daniel at TSU, mind you, we are all in HIGH SCHOOL! This wasn’t no … “we were gonna get married anyway” type situation. FOH. HELL NAW.

+11 HALF AMAZIN Reply:March 18th, 2012 at 1:24 am

Agreed. I like some of her music but I’m not drinking this interview kook aid. Besides, isn’t her son like 7 hrs old. We don’t care girl. You marriage was fake like Brandys, fake like Christina Milian, and fake like everyone else who gets lost and turned out, and accidentally pregnant in the spotlight but needs to preserve an image. This “I’m so different I’m a deep artist rebel hipster” thing is a bit much sometimes. Your albums both flopped although Sol Angel had cool tracks and you can’t get a major so you super pro indie…ok. Completely gratuitous.

Solange is a beautiful woman- the high waists suits her,
and woman who have stretch marks on their stomachs SHOULD
wear high waisted garments, it’s called classy. I have
seen women
with pot bellys and more stretch marks than
a tree has rings trying to rock crop tops- just tasteless
and nasty.

Whenever they talk about Kelly I feel o sad for her. Her mom was a nanny raising other peoples kids but couldn’t raise her own and sent her to live with another family. She had to follow the knowles rules and she owes everything to them even her career. Her father wasn’t even in her life either it would make me sad if this whole family could hold the fact that they took me in when my own parents didn’t over my head my whole life this probably why she didn’t escape Destiny’s child with Letoya and Latavia and why it took so long to fire scheming Matthew.

Kelly did just find…She is happy she loves her mom, and she loves the knowles. She is even woking on the relationship with her dad. You never know what the power above has in store for you and you have to be grateful for every blessing, and Kellendria has mandy.

ok, I know some may get mad but I don’t buy that nanny thing. They change
the story all the time, for some reason me thinks Kelly is a Knowles but ain’t
no one going to spill that tea until we are old and gray

I just loooove solange she’s such free spirt I love how her and her sister are two totally different artists and very different personalities but yet they are so close!! I hate how people would put them against each other. Solo may not have the success her sister has but I think she’s ok with that. And I just love how she’s just come into her own.

Yeah,…..both of Solange’s albums was hot!….she has talent,…the problem is we are living in Rihanna’s world…..if she wanna sell she gotta put a candle on her coochie and let Chris Brown blow it out!!….cake cake cake!!come and put your name on it!!

Rihanna is not stopping no one from doing what they want to do. According to other folks Rihanna not even selling records anyway, so who is she stopping? Last time I checked Solange was in Beyonce’s shadow. Besides I think Solange likes being behind the scenes and doing things on her own time. Solange is completely different from her sister, I don’t think she cares too much about being the best, she just wants to put out great material even if that means not being a superstar, and I can dig that.

im not gonna sit here and lie and say I love Solo’s music and own her albums,what i know is I loved one song off of her first cd,and that was crush(still love it,my fav from her,my sister had that album and i always played that song) then i loved all the 3 released official singles off of Hardley street dreams…but that’s it.She has tonnes of potential,i just don’t know what’s lacking right now,but im sure she’ll get and i’ll be team Solo fully.

I may not always agree with her eclectic sense of style n will to go against the grain but u cant argue that she is smart, very independent, incredibly down to earth given her family n status, and just about her own sh!t. Go head mama, do you n live n love your own life!

IDK why “Hadley Street Dreams” wasnt that well received that.was pure,dope album if I ever heard one Solo.looks good and like she’s in a good place. Im eagerly anticipating her new album, it aint nothing out right now that excites me.

I don’t think her limited success has anything to do with her talent, it has everything to do with her stank attitude. I was going to buy her last release and then she did an interview and got snippy with the reporter for bringing up Jay-Z and Beyonce. So I decided to keep
my coins. Even in this interview, she says that she doesn’t need the money. If she got that snotty a$$ attitude in check, she’d be more likeable.

I love love love her hair! I have recently decided to trash the relaxer and go natural. I can tell in another 6 months to a year her hair is going to be so long, curly and beautiful. I cant wait to look like this. #Teamnatural

I’ve noticed stuff never “catches” on until a white person does it. Like they act as if Adele is the gift to mankind. Blacks have been singing like that for centuries. And a lot of them haven’t got that
recognition like her and Amy got. Doesn’t surprise me though, same thing with Elvis.

You’ve gotta be smarter than that..
Obviously Adele was brought up as an example for her observation:
That things never get “popular” until a white person does it.
She was not comparing the two at all.

What exactly is Adele doing that Solange did before her?
please be specific
i have adele’s album. there is nothing particularly “sixties” about it.
Solange is just trying to give herself too much credit.

+1 SpirytSista Reply:March 18th, 2012 at 2:48 am

exactly what did Adele do that was done by Solange that wasn’t popular until she did it?

+1 KIWI Reply:March 18th, 2012 at 4:28 am

RIGHT! adele and solange are apples and oranges…two different sounds and styles!

+13 Valiance_Bee Reply:March 17th, 2012 at 10:35 pm

I blame her “fans” for that. Say what you want but people RESPECT Adele AND buy her music. A lot of people don’t BUY a lot of underrated artists music! If half the people who says Solange is dope bought her music, she would’ve been more successful as an artist. Support her any other ways besides commenting on a blog. Request a song! BUY music.

Tired of black folk are always whining when they aren’t ALWAYS the center of attention.
same crap w/ Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow.
Nobody would care about two words Solange had to say if it wasn’t for her sister.
so please stop acting like she is this underrated artist

You sound really bitter…and sorry. Solange admitted that her recording career hasn’t been very successful. That being said, Solange is fly. I have no doubt without Beyonce should would have been heading up a fashion blog, designing something, or working for a magazine. She is unique and talented (if only in the fashion sense) and she would have been recognized. Solange doesn’t strike me as the type to want to be the center of attention anyway, stop projecting.

how am I the one that sounds bitter?
i’m not the one grumbling about how white folk get all the attention….
so ur not really making sense

+4 ALTO Reply:March 18th, 2012 at 3:24 am

To be fair, Adele’s success has had little to do with her skin color and more to do with timing. R&B has felt like it was on its last leg for several years now, at least on the mainstream side of things. Every popular R&B artist has changed their sound over the past few years to fit into more of the pop category. Adele came at a time when genuine soul/R&B was lacking a bit.

I can’t say I agree with that, Ledisi and Jazmine Sullivan are prime examples of
people who have gotten ignored. I’m sorry but I do agree if Adele was a Blk chick
she wouldn’t be well received, just like that Iggy Azalea girl.

The difference between Adele and Amy and people like Elvis is that during Elvis’s time white artist were actually stealing the music/words from Black artist and passing it as their own. Adele is talented and Amy is also. Both artists’s music has emotion and is based on personal experiences, something that is lacking in a lot of R&B today (all about sex, Olivia singing about a month). Let’s not shade them because they are white, they have an undeniable talent.

Saying the way her hair naturally grows out of her head “doesn’t go with her” is like telling someone their skin color doesn’t go with them. I get that some people don’t like natural hair but PLEASE come up with a better reason than, “it doesn’t look good on everybody” or “it doesn’t suit you”. People aren’t born with a box of Creme of Nature or some 16 inch Remy, the way she is naturally sure does go with her.

Yeah, it definitely wasn’t always that way. You can tell from what
she isn’t saying. I’m sure Beyonce got all the attention and being
the youngest, Solange probably looked up to Bey but felt envious at
the same time. I’ve seen that situation played out a lot between
siblings who have a few years between them.

Well if you READ you can clearly see that she had some hard times that why she said she was looking sor a stable situation.. Due to the fact that her sister and Family was never home.. But she has always made Money, she started out as a dancer first. They have always had her on payrole. Also lets not forget ALL of the songs she has wrote for Her SISTER, DESTINY CHILD, KELLY, MICHELLE,and her SELF..

Solange has always been different and her own person. I highly doubt she cared about getting attention that much. Not everyone in the world is focused on shining on top! But I guess some people don’t understand that. Solange continue to do you girl. You and your sister are both amazing.

If she didn’t care about getting shine, why would she be in the music industry? And what exactly is it that people do not understand? She never talked about her love of music that much and I don’t think she’s a very talented singer. She’s not in it for the money like she clearly states so …she in it for the shine, right? I think her getting pregnant and married at 17 and coming from a religious background was her being rebellious. So yes, she does crave attention.

I agree if she didn’t want the attention, she could have easily went on to be a doctor or music producer, engineer or any other thing behind the scenes. However she does want that attention and shine. Who wouldn’t, especially if they are seeing how successful and loved the sister is. Look at every showbiz family. No one is just content with letting the original star shine, they all want a piece of the pie. So everyone try’s to jump on the bandwagon trying to carve out their own level of success.

Amen to the highest power @Cake. Little Richard said it best, “they steal every thing from us”. Dont get me wrong Adele and Amy are both amazing talents but honestly I can go to any church and find 2-3 black girls who can sang just as well. Anyway I <3 Solanges make up, that red lip is popping.

Love her, her music, her style, how she is raising her son, her independence, her spirit. She reminds me of a broke version of me. Lol. The only difference is when I got married at 17 to my 18 year old boyfriend/neighbor ..after 3kids and 31 years we still very happy and cute:-) and looking forward to our 1st grandbaby. Go ahead Solonge. Do you am and you will have no regrets. You only live once

I live in London and when I saw the ES cover i got the magazine, I had no idea it was Solange but she looks absolutely stuuning on the cover, but on the cover in capital letters it says “BEYONCE WHO?” idiots, couldn’t even put her on the cover without mentioning Bey, I love Solange she seems very well put together

Solange is actually the only one from the Knowles clan that I like. She isn’t a robot, is REAL, and thinks for herself. Her 2nd album is REALLY HOT…..I’m upset that no one saturated the radio w/ it like they do B. But it’s all good b/c she’s seems to be very level headed and VERY HAPPY. So on TEAM SOLANGE!!!! You go, Girl!!!!

Would we even care if she wasn’t Beyonce’s sister? HELL NO! And stop lying. You got knocked up and had a shotgun marriage. I lost respect for her after she tried to clean up her shyt. Just another teenage slut who happens to be Bey’s sister.

That was Shade at Amy Winehouse. Winehouse had (has) a totally different swag than Solo and her music. Solo swag is forced. I’m not saying that she doesn’t look good bc she does but her style is totally her TRYING to be different, it isn’t effortless. Furthermore, to can listen to Winehouse’s music and she was doing retro and vintage beats and lyrics when Solo had those poetic justice braids.

That was Shade at Amy Winehouse. Winehouse had (has) a totally different swag than Solo and her music. Solo swag is forced. I’m not saying that she doesn’t look good bc she does but her style is totally her TRYING to be different, it isn’t effortless. Furthermore, to can listen to Winehouse’s music and she was doing retro and vintage beats and lyrics when Solo had those poetic justice braids

Um no Solange is not my cup of tea…and she tries too hard to be different. I cant stand that rasta man look..bish u grew up in texas…get real lol. I also cant deal with her over the stop sexual ish..shes weird to me. She DOES CARE to be in the spotlight or else she wouldnt do all this to be relevant. Where is her son? These types of people who have a lil money urk me..they have kids and theyre raised by nannies..all i see her doing is DJ’ING at clubs, doing photoshoots and talking about sex…UM go be a real mom grow up.

I love Solange. I love Beyonce. Both very different sounds. you don’t have to hate Beyonce to like Solange or vice versa.

Solange has her own money for sure, because she helps write a lot of songs for Destiny’s Child and Beyonce. Did you know she wrote, Why don’t you love me? I like Solange’s style, you can tell that she probably resents being cast in the shadow of her sister, but who wouldn’t?

SHe didn’t wanna get married. Her ass got knocked up and her parents made them get married because it looked like the good thing to do. Bey got pregnant too as a teen I heard and got an abortion. Y’all are regular country chicks with money.

Why Solange??? You keep saying….Kelly Rowland Mom was a Nanny…her job description had nothing to do with the question.
“It definitely was tough…having your sister have a built-in BFF”. Jealous?! I guess, if Kelly didn’t live with you all, Beyonce and you would’ve been closer?! Just say that..

I liked Solo Star*, Crush and This could be love are my fav’s. She’s a good songwriter too. My girl told me she saw Solange and her son one day in BK at the hair salon and how she even let her hold him. I like her characture, she doesn’t come off like she’s better than everyone else.

Funny, never even an honorable mention in anty of the other’s articles. No family pics on here, but the article apparently focuses once again on the other sibling. I have 3 daughters. They always tell me I’m embarrasing them. All their positive, I put on blast. All 3. They r all knowledgeable on everything I did as a kid from jacks to classic cars & horses because they’re all part of me and my lineage(both pa & ma)o. I owe them every accolade. My youngest cooks & bakes just as well as my oldest & middle. My
middle can saddle up & out ride & is an excellent shot at the range. Image go on all day about my beautiful ones, all 3 Cuzco I got it like that. Any caring mother would do the same. Singing to the baby made headlines? 4 Solange’s? oh he ought to be about ready to start camping & baiting a hook. I expect to see those pics next week.
Honestly she looks awesome! But I have to say she is a self made woman and it looks better on her than it does many kids in that same position growing up.

you ain’t gotta lie solo! family “alarmed and frightened” that you wanted to get married and have a kid?? more like pissed off that having a knocked up teen daughter would expose them as the bougie poseurs that y’all are (really now, what parents from a real upper class family would encourage their minor children to drop out of middle and high school to work?? gtfohwtbs) hence the shotgun wedding. she looks very nice in those pictures, but i’m not buying her natural hair-boho-fashionista steeze. it’s just as contrived as everything else in that family.

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